Varna, Bulgaria, June 14, 2018 – Bulgaria coach Plamen Konstaninov received a special surprise on his 45th birthday during the press conference of the FIVB Volleyball Nations League in Varna on Thursday.
Konstantinov and coaches Laurent Tillie, Stephane Antiga and Renan Dal Zotto were about to give their statements about the competition, when two young boys wearing a jersey with the Bulgarian coat of arms, entered the press conference room to present a volleyball birthday cake and a lion plush toy.
Brazil coach Renan Dal Zotto: “We are very happy to be here in Varna again and we expect a hard tournament with the best teams that play amazing volleyball. Our goal is to continue to play at a high level and to qualify for the finals. We were in Varna last year and we feel very good here. This is an excellent city with perfect venue for volleyball. The tournament is at a very high level.”
France coach Laurent Tillie: “We are happy to be here in Varna. We are happy to play in this group because the level is very high. The teams here have very different styles of play and we have to adapt to every opponent and every game if we want to succeed.”
Canada coach Stephane Antiga: “What I am going to say is not very original, but we too are very happy to be here and to play at this tournament. Our opponents play at a very high level and the Bulgarian team have many fans here. I hope we will play our best and qualify for the finals.”
Bulgaria coach Plamen Konstantinov: “The words of my colleagues that they are all feeling great here in Varna should bring joy to everyone because these are compliments not just for the city, but for Bulgarian volleyball and all the people who work hard to organise this event at a high level. I am sure that the tournament will be competitive because teams that are here are the best. It will be interesting to see the present performance of these teams, but we want to perform well in front of our fans. The most important for me is to play great volleyball against such strong opponents. I am sure that the tournament will become a special festival of volleyball.”